Magda SiekertLecturer in Middle East Studies (2009).Denny Hall Room 10Csiekertm@dickinson.edu (717) 254-8146
Magda SiekertLecturer in Middle East Studies (2009).Denny Hall Room 10C(717) 254-8146 | siekertm@dickinson.edu B.A., Cairo University, 1977; M.A., The American University in Cairo, 1980; M.A. in Arabic Studies, Georgetown University, 1983.Magda Siekert comes to Dickinson from the Department of State where she spent the past 22 years as a Foreign Service Officer serving in the Middle East, Europe, and Latin America. Her specialty is U.S. public diplomacy. She earned a Masters, and completed the coursework and comprehensive exams for a Ph.D. in Arabic Studies at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. She also holds a Masters from the American University in Cairo, Egypt. She taught at Georgetown University, the Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies, and at the American University in Cairo. She is fluent in Arabic (native), French, and Spanish
David D. ComminsProfessor of History, Benjamin Rush Chair in the Liberal Arts and Sciences; Director of the K. Robert Nilsson Center for European Studies in Bologna, 2012-14 (1987).Denny Hall Room 205(717) 245-1015 | commins@dickinson.edu | Visit Web SiteB.A., University of California at Berkeley, 1976; Ph.D., University of Michigan, 1985.His teaching interests are in modern Middle Eastern history with an emphasis on Islamic thought and political movements. His most recent book is The Gulf States: A Modern History. His other books are The Wahhabi Mission and Saudi Arabia, Historical Dictionary of Syria, and Islamic Reform. His current project is an introduction to Islam in contemporary Saudi Arabian society.
Neil J. Diamant (on leave 2012-13) Associate Professor of Asian Law and Society (2002).diamantn@dickinson.edu B.A., Hebrew University of Jerusalem 1988; M.A., University of Washington, 1991; Ph.D., University of California at Berkeley, 1996.Professor Diamant's research focuses on law and society in Asia (with particular reference to China, Japan, and India), civil-military relations in China, patriotism in comparative perspective, and (most recently) public health. He also teaches courses on Israeli politics and Zionism. Recent publications: Professor Diamant is author of two books, Embattled Glory: Veterans, Military Families and the Politics of Patriotism in China, 1949-2007 (published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2009) and Revolutionizing the Family: Politics, Love, and Divorce in Urban and Rural China, 1949-1968 (published by University of California Press in 2000). He also published the edited volume Engaging the Law in China: State, Society and Possibilities for Justice (with Stanley Lubman and Kevin J. O'Brien) with Stanford University Press in 2005. His most recently-published articles include "Conspicuous Silence: Veterans and the Depoliticization of War Memory in China" (published in Modern Asian Studies in 2011) and "Veterans, Organization, and the Politics of Martial Citizenship in China" (published in The Journal of East Asian Studies in 2007). He has contributed chapters to a number of edited volumes, including "The Limitations of Martial Citizenship in the People's Republic of China," in Peled, Lewin-Epstein, Mundlak and Cohen's Democratic Citizenship and War (2010); "Why Archives?" in Carlson, Gallagher, Lieberthal, and Manion's Chinese Politics: New Sources, Methods, and Field Strategies (2010); and "Legal Syncretism and Family Change in Urban and Rural China" in Galvan and Sil's, Reconfiguring Institutions across Time and Space: Syncretic Responses to Challenges of Political and Economic Transformation (2007).
Nitsa KannAssociate Professor of Judaic Studies (2005).East College Room 208(717) 254-8977 | kannn@dickinson.edu B.A., Hebrew University, 1982; M.A., University of California at Berkeley, 1984; Ph.D., 2005.Her teaching interests include Hebrew language, Hebrew Literature, Kabbalah, and Middle Eastern Cinema. She is the author of two Hebrew books of poems, 'Black Soul Singer' (1989), and 'A Woman With Child' (1992), and the author of two Hebrew novels, 'Gazelle of Love' (1995), and 'Herotica' (1998).
Andrea B. LieberAssociate Professor of Religion, Sophia Ava Asbell Chair in Judaic Studies (1998).East College Room 106(717) 245-1482 | lieber@dickinson.edu B.A., Vassar College, 1989; M.A., Columbia University, 1993; M.Phil., 1995; Ph.D., 1998.Her courses explore the transformations of Judaism as a living religion and evolving culture from its origins in antiquity through its varied manifestations in the 20th century. Special interests include: Judaism and early Christianity, Jewish mysticism (kabbalah), women and gender in Jewish tradition.
Erik LoveAssistant Professor of Sociology (2009; 2012).Denny Hall Room 13(717) 245-1225 | lovee@dickinson.edu B.A., Albion College, 2001; M.A., University of California, Santa Barbara, 2006; Ph.D., 2011.Erik Love received his Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of California at Santa Barbara, where he was a Regents Fellow. Erik's research centers on civil rights advocacy in the United States. He has presented his research on the efforts of Arab, Muslim, Sikh, and South Asian American advocacy organizations at several academic conferences, in peer-reviewed journals, and he has contributed to a wide range of popular publications including Jadaliyya and Al Jazeera. His work has won the support of the National Science Foundation, the Richard Flacks Fund for the Study of Democracy, and the Center for New Racial Studies. Prior to joining the faculty at Dickinson, Erik lived and studied in Jerusalem, Cairo, and outside Kyoto. Since arriving at Dickinson, Erik has continued his research on civil rights advocacy as he prepares a book manuscript.
Theodore PulciniThomas Bowman Professor of Religion and Philosophy (1995).East College Room 203A(717) 245-1208 | pulcini@dickinson.edu B.A., Harvard College, 1976; M.A., University of Notre Dame, 1979; Th.M., Harvard Divinity School, 1982; Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh, 1994.Ganoe Award for Inspirational Teaching, 1998-1999; Dickinson Award for Distinguished Teaching, 2002-03.His teaching responsibilities focus on exploring the Biblical texts in their historical, social, and comparative contexts. He also specializes in Islam, early Christianity, and Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Research interests include relations between Islam and Christianity, both past and present.
Shalom D. StaubAssociate Provost for Academic Affairs (2004).West College (Old West) 2nd Floor(717) 245-1080 | staubs@dickinson.edu | Visit Web SiteB.A., Wesleyan University, 1977; M.A., 1978; Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania, 1985.His research and teaching interests focus on 1) various dimensions of conflict analysis, conflict resolution and peacemaking, and 2) the ethnography of religious experience, including “folk” religion, religion and conflict, and the intersection of religion with race, ethnicity, and gender. These interests play out in his courses on conflict and conflict resolution studies, religion and conflict, ethnography of Jewish experience, folk religious practices in the Middle East and North Africa, and immigration and religious diversity in the US.
Edward WebbAssistant Professor of Political Science and International Studies (2007).Denny Hall Room 202(717) 245-1009 | webbe@dickinson.edu | Visit Web SiteB.A., Cambridge University, 1992; M.A., University of Pennsylvania, 2003; Ph.D., 2007.His teaching and research activities are mainly in Middle East politics, comparative politics and international relations. He contributes to Middle East Studies and Security Studies. He has particular interests in the interaction of religions and politics and the politics of education, as well as authoritarianism and empire. His interest in pedagogical applications of new technologies, including simulations, games, and social media, has led to him being appointed to the Advisory Board of the National Institute for Technology in Liberal Education. A former diplomat, he has lived and worked in the Middle East and Europe. Recent publications: Professor Webb contributed a chapter on “Totalitarianism and Authoritarianism” to 21st Century Political Science: A Reference Handbook, edited by Ishiyama & Breuning (2011) and a chapter, “Should the Daleks Be Exterminated?” (with Mark Wardecker) to Doctor Who and Philosophy, edited by Smithka & Lewis (2010). His article “Engaging Students with Engaging Tools” was published in Educause Quarterly in 2009.
Stephen WeinbergerRobert Coleman Professor of History (1969).Denny Hall Room 217(717) 245-1500 | weinberg@dickinson.edu B.A., Northeastern University, 1965; M.A., University of Wisconsin, 1966; Ph.D., 1969.His teaching interests center on medieval and Renaissance history, European intellectual history, and the history of film. His current research involves conflict in medieval society, and censorship in the American film industry.
Leon F. BlosserVisiting Instructor in Arabic (2007).162 Dickinson Ave Room 6(717) 245-1541 | blosserl@dickinson.edu B.A., Elizabethtown College, 1962; B.D., Reformed Episcopal Seminary, 1962.He lived in the Middle East from 1964 through 1976 and from 1990 through 2000, during which time he taught Arabic to both native speakers and expatriate medical workers. As an ordained minister he was also involved in church work with Arabic speaking Christians.